On The Boundary ~ Illusionary Festival for the Dawn

[Oldmansour]

Well, that didn't sound so bad. Kohaku still had questions about the nature of so flawed a system that forced conflict upon its inhabitants, but there was no hurry to address those right now. She was living proof that humans and youkai could coexist peacefully just fine, thank you very much, and that little nugget proved to be a very welcome touchstone right now.

"So if this Hakurei shrine maiden is so vital a role, why have I never heard of it before?" Kohaku asks the half beast before her. "Or, for that matter, why would someone mistake me for it?"

[GuyYouMetOnline]

"That's why I'm looking into it," Laresa said. "Obviously, there's something about you that's making them think you're the new maiden. That's why I'm trying to learn the nature of the Hakurei maiden. There's something, some defining characteristic or characteristics, and the ones who first called you the new maiden believe that you have said characteristics. If we can learn what these characteristics are, we can determine whether or not you do, in fact, have them.

"Which brings me to an important point. Kohaku, there's one thing you absolutely have to realize here, and that is that there is a chance, however small, that the people calling you the new maiden are correct. If our investigation turns up evidence to support their claim, you need to be willing to accept that evidence. An unlikely scenario, perhaps, but it is still possible. You must keep open to all possibilities, or you may overlook or dismiss important information. It's okay that you believe yourself to not be the maiden; you just need to set that belief aside while investigating. Can you do that?"

Laresa turned to Keine. "And Keine, I would like to know where you got your information on the Hakurei maiden. If it was from texts, then I want to examine those texts myself, and if it was a person who still lives-or a text written by someone who still lives-then I want to know who it is, because I want to speak with them directly."

[Sonae]

As the two women spoke, Keine?s frown returned. She listened in silence, a stern expression on her face, waiting for them to finish.
When they had finished, the schoolteacher heaved out a sigh. She first turned to Laresa. ?Yes, I got it from texts,? she said, placing her hands on her hips. ?However, these texts are under strict supervision as a means to ensure they are not stolen or destroyed. With that said, they are not easy to access.? Keine let out another sigh as she scratched her head briefly. ?I can try to bring you some of the material when I?m free, though you wouldn?t be able to keep it for too long.?
The teacher allowed her arms to fall to her side. She exhales and turns her focus to Kohaku next. ?You haven?t heard of the Hakurei Shrine Maiden before because of a few reasons, the main one being that there has been no miko for over a decade now.? Keine looked around the room briefly then brought her gaze between the two.
?Now then?? She spoke slowly as she inhaled deeply, as if trying to rid herself of tension. ?There isn?t some sort of template, Laresa.? She spoke in a faintly annoyed tone as she crossed her arms again. ?When there is the need for a miko, the youkai take matters into their own hands.? The schoolteacher pondered it for a second before speaking, ?It was likely the youkai sages.? Keine glances at Laresa swiftly, as if she was preparing to counter an attack. ?And no, I don?t know who these sages are, nor where to locate them for that matter.? Keine paused for a moment, taking in a breath before continuing.
?So, if it really was the work of the Youkai sages, I highly doubt it is a mistake? She said, shifting her eyes to Kohaku.
As Laresa?s and Kohaku?s earlier words flash through Keine?s mind, her expression darkens. The schoolteacher?s head lowered slightly and she expelled an aggravated sigh. ?I think there?s something you?re misunderstanding here Kohaku.? She said, her voice dark and serious. She glances at each woman. First Laresa, then Kohaku, then back, repeating the pattern until she found a spot where she met the both of their gazes. Keine sighed again, looking solemn for but a moment. She inhaled, and exhaled.
Then, she spoke.
?Gensokyo is already on the verge of collapse.?

[CrowCakes]

Oh, for crying out loud. This was quickly going downhill. Kisei had no idea what would happen if she attempted to lie, which she desperately needed to do if she was going to ward this woman off. Sooner or later, she would run out of questions to ask, and, quite obviously, her father would find out and probably escort her out of the shrine for some old-fashioned lecture. It occurred to her that she could just ask to pass through, but that thought was quickly shaken off. This woman was proving to be very dangerous.

Then she remembered she was currently limp. "Um, miss," she addressed the pink-haired woman steadily, "I think you're talking about a different person. I can't really, uh, move by myself. Maybe you scared her away?" An important lesson in answering questions: do not agree more than once, and do not deny more than once.

She knew, of course, that her father was still listening. Trying to get this past him would not work at all, but, hopefully, the woman would be stumped to retort to the girl's denial. The woman did not know why she was limp, did she?

[Oldmansour]

"I don't mean to doubt you, Keine." Kohaku starts, abandoning the formality of her last name. "But if that's the case, why haven't there been any obvious signs of that before now?"
Hyozan growls once. "And, for that matter," the Daidouji heir continues. "why were things allowed to get that bad? Why wasn't a new maiden 'chosen' before now? Actually, why hasn't the previous maiden handled the problem, if there is one? Or has she retired from her duty?"

[GuyYouMetOnline]

Most people would likely have... reacted strongly to hearing something like what Keine had just said, but Laresa wasn't most people. What she'd been hearing from Keine was... surprising, but compared to what she had to deal with on a daily basis, to what had happened back then, suppressing her emotional response here was simple. It was easy for her to ignore the shock of Keine's revelations and focus on the practical end of things.

"I will need to see those texts, Keine," Laresa said, "and as soon as possible. In the meantime, it would seem that there is a new lead to follow. But there is a complication.

"Kohaku," Laresa said, "I think Keine's right. I think it's unlikely that you are not the maiden. But I do think that you are not prepared to take on the role Keine just described. At the same time, however, it is, given what Keine said, important that you take on that role immediately. But you aren't ready to, so you'll need help. And if you think that there have been no signs of what Keine's saying being true, well, actually, I suppose it's not too surprising that you haven't noticed, but those in my line of work are well aware that youkai activity has been on the rise. That's why there are so many of us these days.

"You need to being immediately," Laresa said, "but you aren't ready for it. I have already agreed to act as a bodyguard for you, so it's sensible, I think, to take that a step further and have me act as your partner in this. I can certainly teach you how to fight, and until you are capable of doing so on your own, I will accompany you during your duties. I admit that I will have to learn the spellcard system alongside you, but this will be far simpler together than on your own. In fact, Keine, if you would demonstrate spellcards at some point, it would aid me greatly. I would not be able to copy them, but I would be able to sense them, to learn the feel of them, which would be a great aid in learning to make and use my own.

"The problem, of course, is that if I am acting as your partner, Kohaku, I will have less of a chance to look into the identity of these 'sages'. I can think of a few colleagues to ask about looking into that in my place, though, so it shouldn't be an issue. Your thoughts?"

[Sonae]

Keine listened as Laresa spoke, nodding in agreement with her points.
?Yes, as Laresa said, there are signs. However, most of these are amongst youkai, so living and working in the village with mostly humans would mean you likely wouldn?t see the signs nearly as much. If at all.? Keine spoke calmly and clearly, her expression remaining rather neutral. The teacher paused, taking in a breath before answering the next question.
?A new miko was not chosen before now because the previous generation lacked power.? Keine said simply, ?You see, not everyone is born with a special ability. There are many who do not possess any ability whatsoever. Because of this, there is never a guarantee of how many children capable of gaining power will be born.? Keine inhaled and continued. ?The generation prior to your own had very few children born with abilities. Thus, there wasn?t someone considerable for the position I?d imagine.?
As she recalls Kohaku?s last question, her neutral expression shifts into a faint frown. ?She has??retired. Yes.?
Keine let out a small sigh as she turned her attention to Laresa.
?I?ll see what I can do. I can?t make any promises though?? She cautioned as she took one last look around the room before turning her attention to the pair of humans.

[Oldmansour]

Kohaku took a very long breath out, and placed her hand to her head. Hyozan looks up and the girl, who shakes her head in response. "I'm all right, boy. I'm just getting a headache." Perfectly justified, considering everything that had happened before, and everything she was being asked to accept.
Headache or no, Kohaku knew to handle things one at a time, so first, she turned her attention to Laresa, who, to her credit, seemed to be handling the matter a lot better than Kohaku herself was. Kohaku admired her collected nature in the face of such news and confusion.

"I realize that this is Gensokyo, Laresa, and that strange things happen here all the time, every day, even. But consider what Keine's saying for a moment. I'm supposed to save the world? ME? You're damn right I'm not ready; how the hell am I supposed to save the world? Especially when I don't even know what the problem is." She casts a glance in Keine's direction. "That would be a good place to start, by the way, since you seem to know what's going on here. At least, for me. If I'm supposed to save Gensokyo, a bit of direction would help in that department."
"And about these sages. I'd actually like a word with them myself." Kohaku can feel the bile rising in her gullet, so she takes a moment to breathe, settle herself down again. "I want to know why they've apparently chosen me without giving me any say in the matter. Did it never occur to any of them to ASK me first?"

She straightens up, and turns her attention to Keine. "But there's something I want answered first. You're hiding something, Keine. If the last shrine maiden had simply retired and stepped down, you wouldn't have paused like that. I've known you well enough to know that, and you me well enough to know that I don't like it when people hide things from me. I want to know what happened to her, and why she isn't around. Why I, apparently, have to do what she isn't around to do."

[Amraphenson]

"Ah," Tetsumaru blinks, realising he hasn't introduced himself either. He bows deeply. "Tetsumaru, of the Human Village. Smithing apprentice." Raising his head, he smiles. "Thank you for listening. It seems these days that everyone knows something I don't, and I'm being left in the dark."

The apprentice tilts his head, thinking. "Well, left in the dark or just in there by default. I doubt I'm quite important enough to even be considered for these kind of matters. I'm just a human after all."

He smiles again. He likes this woman, even if she is a potentially dangerous youkai. She seems very friendly. "May I ask what you're doing here?" he says rhetorically. "And what many of the youkai are doing here, really. I thought the miko was suppoesd to exterminate them? Why celebrate?"

He's curious, above all. Frustrated, yes, but even then he's only barely a man. Curiosity is driving his actions at this point.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

"I might hazard a guess," Laresa said, "but I think you've probably had the thought yourself. It is likely, I would think, that the previous maiden died. I wouldn't immediately assume it was death in combat, though, not if combat was done using a non-lethal system. That is a possibility, of course, but there are also others. Perhaps you would know, Keine?"

[Sonae]

Keine shrugged lightly at the girl?s initial response, ?Well, first of all is to make sure things don?t get out of hand, on either side really. Keep youkai from eating humans, make sure they don?t weaken and vanish because of humans,? Keine gave the girl a small smile as she finished, ?Basically, make sure they play nicely.?
A subtle frown creased the schoolteacher?s face as she listened to Kohaku continue. ?I?m sorry Kohaku, but there?s nothing I can do. The sages are very elusive, even more so than hermits, which is a feat.?
As Kohaku turned her full attention to her former teacher, Keine closed her eyes, her frown deepening. Upon hearing Laresa?s voice speak out once more, the half beast opened her eyes, casting a sideways glance at the violet-haired woman for a moment. When Laresa had finished, Keine let out a lengthy sigh before speaking once again.
?Sadly, I wouldn?t.? She began, her gaze focused on the floor for a solemn moment before returning a neutral stare in Kohaku?s direction. ?I?m sorry, but I don?t know any more details. I?m not even sure what exactly happened to her.? She said, her voice stronger than before, ?It was mainly an educated guess. The last shrine maiden, that girl was remarkably powerful. She could fight on equal terms with some of the strongest beings in Gensokyo.? Keine paused to take a breath, turning her gaze to Laresa in the process. ?I highly doubt that girl would die easily.?
With another sigh, Keine placed her hands on her hips and looked at the two girls. ?Well, there?s not much we can do about it right now.? Keine started in a calming tone, ?The sages will hopefully reveal themselves to you soon Kohaku. I doubt they would just leave the issue unresolved.? Keine frowned, raising her hand to her head and scratching it lightly for a moment. ?We can only wait until they make their move. Until then,? the schoolteacher paused briefly, focusing her eyes on Kohaku. ?I think it would be best to go along with it. At least for now.?
With that, Keine gave the girl a small but reassuring smile. ?Don?t worry Kohaku, you?d make a fine shrine maiden.?

---------

---Crow

The Saigyouji mistress lets out a mock gasp, as if what Kisei had said had surprised her. The ghostly woman?s body language emulated shock and awe, but her eyes tell a different story. For just a moment, her eyes flicker with a sharp cunningness before returning to an innocent cluelessness. Her gaze, which had been focused on the red thief then shift a second later to the girl?s father.
?Oh my, is that true?? She asks, clearly directing her attention towards the man standing before her.

---------

---Amra

Mamizou smiled at the boy. ?Tetsumaru, what a unique name,? the tanuki said as she poured herself another cup of sake. ?A pleasure to meet you.?
As the boy thanked her, she smiled. ?It?s the least I can do for someone who is troubled. As for being left in the dark,? She paused, taking in a breath as she thought, ?I think it isn?t just the humans that are being left in the dark. I myself haven?t the faintest clue as to what is going on. Several youkai I have spoken with also seem to be unaware of this affair. Some didn?t even know there was no miko until now.?
Taking another sip from her cup, Mamizou listened to the boy?s words with a polite silence. ?Well, in the past there were several parties held at this shrine that many youkai attended. Though I would think of this occasion as a welcoming party for the new miko.?
Then, as if in realization, the tanuki?s ears twitched. ?Now that I think of it, has anyone seen this rumored shrine maiden yet? I know I have yet to see the girl.?
The woman took a swig of alcohol then looked down to the bottle of sake tied to her wrist, and finally to the boy she had been speaking to. ?Oh, please pardon me for not asking sooner, but would you like some sake?? She said, gesturing to the small cup in her hand.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

"Kohaku," Laresa said, "let me tell you a couple things. First, I don't think we need to take any sort of action tonight. I would recommend, though, that we begin tomorrow, as there is likely a lot to do. If Keine's right about Gensokyo's current state-and she's not wrong very often-then you'll likely need to jump into the maiden's duties right away. I know you don't want to, but people often don't want what life gives them. And given what happened with Yuyuko, a refusal to begin those duties might result in additional attacksagainst you.

"We'll likely have to focus on the maiden's duties-Keine can probably tell us what they entail-so we won't be able to search for these 'sages' ourselves. One or more of them might come to you, but if they don't, well, we can always have someone else work on locating them. In fact, I already have someone in mind. You and I will have our own work to do."

Laresa walked right up to Kohaku. "Kohaku, listen. I know this all seems overwhelming. It's that way for me, too, and I'm not the one being called the new maiden. For tonight, those feelings aren't likely to get in the way of anything, but if they persist tomorrow, you're going to have to push them aside, like I'm doing right now. Whether or not you truly are the new maiden, it seems as though circumstances give us little choice but to play this out. Can you do that, Kohaku?"

[CrowCakes]

It was totally expected that her father would eventually call her out on this. She did not even know why she tried. So Kisei could only listen, watch, and hang her mouth in dread as Tsutomu began cracking down on her facade.

"Oh, I know exactly what's going on here," he said as he began to walk out of the shrine. Kisei turned to look back and glared at the pink-haired woman. While the girl was only doing this for fun, it was infuriating to be denied by an adult. She would never know why the teacher was talking and what she was talking about.

The party outside was still well in its way. Talk was very much there. More bottles of wine seemed to have sprung up, though, but they were nothing she wanted to try; they were only good for snatching practice. It was easy to snatch them under the nose of drunk people, but she'd only seen one so far. Come to think of it, she had not thought to check that drunk's other arm before that-

"-was very wrong. Not only did you disregard what we told you before we came, but you also tried to weasel your way out of it. And look what that got you! Your mother will hear of this..."

The words were barely registering while she stared blankly at the partygoers. Quite fortunately for her, she did not care the slightest bit what her father was saying because it was so routine. She could guess the next few lines: more store duty, no going out, and no sneaking out.

"...and you were quite a bad liar, I might say."

The next moment, Kisei had to bite on her tongue- literally.

[Oldmansour]

Kohaku, by nature, was not a doubting person. She wanted to give people the benefit of the doubt, if she could. Just because Keine had been hiding her... unique biology didn't make her a liar. And Kohaku could see where she was coming from with that one. If she said she didn't know what happened to the last girl, then Kohaku was willing to accept that answer. But someone had to know. One of these youkai sages, that kitsune, Aya, SOMEONE. But if she couldn't learn now, well, that was all she could do.
Despite Keine's claim that Gensokyo was about to be destroyed, she didn't tell Kohaku that immediate action was necessary. In fact, she advocated patience, on all fronts. This led Kohaku to believe her claim was made to get Kohaku's attention. If Gensokyo really was in some kind of immediate danger, Keine wouldn't gloss over it if the one who was supposed to fix it was standing in front of her.

Especially if that one had help, and Kohaku did, in the form of Laresa. Help, she thought, that knew how to handle herself in conflict with youkai better than Kohaku herself did. That thought burned in Kohaku's mind. As far as she was concerned, it should have been the shrine maiden's duty to stop those conflicts from happening in the first place. But maybe.... Just maybe, staying here would give her a chance to learn how to accomplish just that. Youkai and humans, right now, were segregated from each other, Keine herself was proof of that. (Maybe I can change that), the Daidouji girl thinks to herself. The idea that, in accepting this role now might mean she was deceiving everyone involved still didn't sit right with her, but if these damned sages were too lazy or inconsiderate to enlighten her now, what could she do about it? But maybe it was worth the risk. She didn't know how she was supposed to do this, had no idea why these youkai would pick her, above all others. But a chance to bring human and youkai closer together was one she really couldn't pass up.

"No, Laresa. You're wrong." Kohaku starts, looking her new friend in the eye. "I DO have a choice. We both do. And I'm not going to make your choice for you, but I CAN make my own. And I have now." She takes a deep breath for herself. "And I choose this path, for good or ill."
"But that doesn't mean I'm going to just abandon who I am, either." she adds quickly. "My parents deserve to know about this. I know what mother will say, but, I have to know what Father will say. And he needs to know this isn't forever. I'm still the heir to Daidouji Jewelery, and my parents daughter. My brother abandoned his home, but I won't. Not without an explanation why, and not without father's blessing."
With a glance at the door on the wall in front of her, Kohaku continues, "Of course, since father isn't here right now, that means there's something else that needs to be resolved." She looks between the youkai hunter and her teacher. "What you have me do now? Walk out of this shrine to stand in front of the crowd, and declare myself the savoir of Gensokyo?"

[Sonae]

?That?s perfectly fine,? Keine said in reply to Kohaku?s declaration, ?I completely understand. I agree, your parents deserve to know about the overall situation.?
As Kohaku finished her speech, Keine frowned slightly. ?Well, not quite as ?the savior of Gensokyo??? Keine began, trying to figure out how to phrase her next sentence. ?Just, introduce yourself as the new Hakurei Shrine Maiden.?, she said calmly, ?That should suffice for now.? Keine glanced towards Laresa for a brief second before continuing her speech. ?And, considering what you?ve told me about Yuyuko?s reaction, it might be a good idea to just state what we know and leave the possibility out.? Keine?s brow furrowed for a moment as she spoke. ?I?m not saying you should lie to them, but to separate your personal opinion from the situation.? The half-beast?s face flickered momentarily with worry. ?This would be for your own safety, Kohaku, so could you please do that??

[Oldmansour]

"'My opinion' meaning my doubts about this whole debacle, you mean." Kohaku asked, somewhat sourly. She rubbed the ring on her finger for a moment. "I hadn't planned on mentioning those, anyway. If I'm going to do this, announcing my misgivings to the whole of Gensokyo wouldn't do them, or me, any good. Throwing more doubts around would probably only serve to obfuscate the truth of this affair more than it already has."
She spares a glance down at her faithful canine friend. "And we WILL get to the bottom of this, Hyozan. In case you were wondering."
The dog holds his tongue, and simply stands again. Kohaku bends just enough to rub the male on the head, and takes another moment to straighten out her kimono. Nothing wrong with looking close to presentable.
"All right, then. Let's get this over with." Setting her face and steeling her will, the Daidouji girl strode towards the door of the room. To face the crowd. To lie, or at least to give them a story that may not be true. Until she found the truth herself, it was all she could do.

[Amraphenson]

"Ah," he says a little dumbly, unsure of how to answer. On one hand, he was a little worried about his age in regards to the alcohol, but on the other...

He smiles and holds a hand out. "Why not. I've been having a bad enough day."

(ooc: been kinda busy. Tetsumaru has bad alcohol tolerance, so feel free to use him as a drunken side in any future posts or events.)

[Sonae]

Date: 28^th of March, Year 160. Early Spring
Relative Time: Night
---End---

------------

Date: 29^th of March, Year 160. Early Spring
Relative Time: Morning
---Start---

[Oldmansour]

Kohaku was in a surprisingly pleasant mood as she headed down the wooded path back towards the Hakurei Shrine.
"Or is it 'Daidouji Shrine' for now?" she asks of the big malamute walking along besides her. Hyozan does not comment on her theory.
The young woman had a small cloth sack slung over her shoulder, carrying a few of the things she would be needing, in the event she had to stay at the shrine for a while. Strictly speaking, she wasn't sure if that was necessary, but she felt it best to be prepared. She'd have to ask Keine about that later. She would have asked her then, but after the conversation she'd had with her parents, she wanted some time to herself. Well, away from humanoids, anyway, Hyozan was an exception.

She hadn't got a great deal of sleep, having got in somewhat late. Or early, depending on how you looked at it, after the party had broken up and she and Hyozan made their way home. She didn't feel entirely right leaving Laresa at the shrine, but they talked about it, and Laresa understood. After everything that had happened, Kohaku was, admittedly, a bit aprehensive about leaving the shrine to go home. For all she knew, these thoughtless sages had sent someone else to waylay her and send her back. But this did not materielze, and Kohaku made her way safely, uneventfully home. And she considered herself somewhat fortunate that her mother was asleep when she got home, too.

Most of the walk back to the shrine, Kohaku had spent unwinding from the heated words her mother had leveled at her. Kohaku knew it was coming. She'd seen her mother level her lashing tongue and Koryu many times before. She'd been on the receiving end heself, when she tried to defend her brother. But this was the first time since Koryu ran away that her mother had laid into her. And even though she had experienced it before, even though she had been expecting it, it still hurt. It always hurt. But this was necessary. Kohaku told herself that a lot. She HAD to believe it. It didn't make it hurt any the less.
Leaving her father wasn't any easier. He was kind. He was understanding. Even more understanding than Kohaku had expected. She hated to leave him. Hated to leave him alone to deal with his wife's anger. But it was necessary.

"It... IS necessary, isn't it, Hyozan?" Kohaku asks her friend as the pair reach the steps of the shrine. "I really did have to do it, didn't I?"
The big malamute turns to his side and quietly walks over to the human girl. Kohaku takes a knee in front of him and embraces her friend with her free hand, the dog quietly, gently nuzzling the girl's face and neck. The girl takes a great deal of solace in the companship of the dog, enough to put a smile back on her face. "No more doubts." she says, more to herself than Hyozan, pulling away from him. "I told Keine and Laresa that I was going to do this. I'd dissapoint them both if they saw me still waffling now, wouldn't I."
Hyozan barks once, and Kohaku laughs, rising back to her feet and starting up the stairs, the dog by her side. She flexes her right hand, the tip of a chain appearing and disappearing from her palm. "I wonder if Laresa will be able to help me get stronger. I never wanted power, but if Keine's right, I might need it. And I'll definately need to start learning danmaku." She shakes her head somewhat wryly. "Should have tagged along on those lessons you gave Koryu, Haine." she muses, sighing. The invocation of the youkai's name brings her grinning, beautiful face back to Kohaku's mind's eye. "If you could see me now..."

[Hanzo K.]

"Urgh..."
Pounding. That was how his head felt. Like he just went 10 rounds with some Oni down in the Underground. And the hangover wasn't much better either.
'...Hold on, how'd I get back home...?' Well, he certainly didn't know. Last thing he remembered was gettin' to the shrine, and having some of the booze he brought with him.
...The booze. He must've really gotten drunk if he couldn't remember all that happened after- Oh yeah. There was that thing with Teach, wasn't there...?
'Damn...I can only hope that was just a booze-induced dream.'  Well, only time would tell if it was. So he elected to just stay in his bed for a little while longer, at least until the hangover abated at least a little more.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

Kohaku had returned to the village for the night, but Laresa had not. She was always ready to be away from home for an indefinite period of time, so there was no reason she had to return. And there were reasons to remain at the shrine. Once everyone had left and the grounds were, aside from her, deserted, Laresa had gotten to work. She'd done a thorough survey of the immediate area, familiarizing herself with it. She'd also placed several charmes around the grounds. These were very simple charms that functioned as a warning system. Whenever anyone got too close to one, it would make a loud noise. It was, of course, possible to fool them, but being so simple, they weren't the easiest to detect, though again, doing so was quite possible. And, of course, they could be flown over; one could easily do so without even knowing they were there.

Laresa did place a different charm at the entrance to the grounds, and another at the entrance to the shrine itself. These were less-simplistic charms, and thus easier to detect, but it would be bad form to have a loud noise occur every time avisitor arrived. Instend of sounding a noise, these charms were connected to two others. Laresa had one of these for herself, and would give the other to Kohaku. Their charms would react whenever someone drew near to one of the charms at the entrance. They were just as easily tricked, though, and a bit easier to detect. Still useful, though.

Laresa exited the shrine and waited; Kohaku would be arriving shortly.

-------------------------------------

OOC: Feel free to have Kohaku arrive now, Sour.

[CrowCakes]

Though she had agreed on staying, Kisei quickly learned that parties were absolutely no fun unless she drank herself drunk or had someone to talk to- things she watched as she hung for the next few hours. Her skin itched, but there was nothing that could be done. The stench of alcohol and the fact that she was resting on someone made her quite drowsy, something she did not expect to feel that day.

The sun had already risen when the Kyokis were back in their house. The morning breeze wafting through tiny gaps in the walls kept Kisei's eyes open, to her dismay. During the walk back, she had considered finding teacher among those behind them, but no dice.

Before she knew it, she was lying on her bed. As she was ready to doze off, that was when it came back. That being nerves- literally.

"Uuuggggggghh...!" the girl groaned roughly. "Really, of all the times it comes back, it was when I didn't need it anymore! Gee," she held up one hand into sight, "thanks a lot."

Shoving herself off the bed, she trudged towards a lone window, which had remained closed for the past two days. The red-hair fumbled with the woven screen, and light flooded into the room, but, more importantly, she could see what was going on outside.

"From a storey up," Kisei mumbled. No one noticed her. She reached for the window frame, and her elbows ground against bone as she moved them for the first time in many hours.

"Now, where should I go? I don't know where teacher i- did she even get back to the village?" she looked to the left; not there. "Okay... her house, or the shrine? Either way, I'd be climbing up the roof..."

It was not likely that she would be missed, anyway. No one would be the wiser.

The shrine was actually more fun, she decided. Using the window sill as a footstool, she clambered and crawled up the curve-tiled roof. With a view of the waking village, she ran across the tightly packed roofs. She was soon standing on the last one, looking down a drop of two floors to solid pavement.

"Yeeaaaaaah- that will take a while." To climb down, anyway.
OOC: Kisei's not done with dredging up the identity of the new Hakurei shrine maiden. She'll be heading back to the shrine.

[Oldmansour]

Two steps up the stairs leading up to the Hakurei shrine, Kohaku had a thought. If during the course of this interruption in her life, she truly had to confront a number of youkai, then she should start mastering her own powers as soon as possible. And there was no reason not to start now.
She slid a pair of chains out of the back of her wrists and set them circling around her body as she climbed the stairs, then added a third chain to the circle. And promptly winced in doing so. Manifesting more than two chains for her was doable, but it got uncomfortable, even painful. Haine, though, speculated that, given enough time and practice, Kohaku would get used to slinging multiple chains at once. The Daidouji heir had never really had the desire to do so, though, as she never expected or desired that kind of confrontation with anyone. That time would seem to be approaching, if Keine was right.

Having three chains out at once, spinning diagonally around Kohaku's body, understandably drew a reaction from Hyozan, who started sniffing the air, seemingly more on guard than before.
"It's all right, Hyozan, there's no threat." Kohaku assured her friend, grimacing slightly at the uncomfortable sensation of employing three chains at once. "I'm just starting something Haine told me I should have been doing long ago." She cracked a somewhat-depreciating grin. "In hindsight, I probably should have listened to her sooner." The mention of Haine's name seemed to mollify the big malamute, and he lowered his guard again.
Kohaku's eyes fell on the large torii gate at the top of the stairs. Well, I've got my chains out already. Why not? She stuck her right arm forward, pointed at the top of the gate, and sent one of her chains out towards it, wrapping itself the top section of the gate. Kohaku reeled herself up the chain, swinging under the gate like a violet-haired spider momentarily before landing on the other side.
Nobody sing the song.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

Laresa felt her ability take effect; someone was using their ability within her range. Chains? An interesting ability. Is that Kohaku's? Her suspicions were confirmed when Kohaku swung into the grounds. She formed a couple chains of her own and swung them around breifly before unforming them, then approached Kohaku. "Good morning."

Laresa pushed back the sleeve of her shirt, revealing a design on her right arm. "This is part of a warning system," she said. "I have charms at the entrances that are linked to this one. Whenever someone gets close enough to one of them, mine reacts." She let go of her shirt and took a paper charm from her pocket, handing it to Kohaku. "This is the same one I have on myself. Put it on, and you'll feel it, too. That way, you'll know if someone's at the shrine. It's not perfect-nothing is-but it should be quite helpful in preventing anyone from entering the shrine without our knowing. It's applied and removed in the same manner as the charm I gave you yesterday. You can choose whether or not to put it on; I'll be using mine regardless of whether or not you use yours."

"Now," Laresa said, "as I imagine you're aware, we have a few things to do today. I noticed your use of your ability as you arrived. I would assume you were practicing, and that's smart. I can help you learn to master it-I may not have it myself, but I've become fairly good at learning the ins and outs of people's abilities. I'll need to practice with it myself, but I do not doubt that I can aid you in realizing its full potential. We can train with it together. In addition, you should consider carrying a weapon. I won't make you, but I would recommend it.

"First, though, we have a trip to make. There are a couple things we need to do in the village. Yes," she said, halting any obections Kohaku might voice, "I know you were just there, and yes, I know I could have returned to my own home and met you in the village this morning instead of here. But I wanted this trip to start and end here at the shrine. You should start thinking of this as your home, Kohaku. I realize you have one in the village, and there's no reason you shouldn't still think of that as a place you can call home, but like it or not, a shrine maiden's home is her shrine. If you are indeed the new maiden, as seems likely, you'll need to adjust to that. And using it as the starting point for a trip into the village today should help with that.

"We don't need to set out for the village immediately. Before we go, you should, if nothing else, take your things inside and set up a room for your use. Make yourself at home-and yes, I'm using the phrase to emphasize the whole 'a shrine maiden's home is her shrine' thing. Rest a bit, if you need to. Have something to eat if you're hungry. The trip does need to be made today, but you shouldn't feel like you need to rush. We'll leave when you're ready."

[Oldmansour]

"There's an old saying my father taught me years ago, Laresa." Kohaku started in answer to her...
Come to think of it, she wasn't entirely certain how she should think of Laresa. Co-worker? Partner? They weren't friends, not yet, anyway, but they were indeed working together to get to the bottom of this mystery. Even if Laresa was a bit pushier than Kohaku particularly cared for. Settling on 'partner', at least for now, Kohaku finished her thought.
"'Home is where the heart is.' Some people would call that corny, but I happen to agree with it." Gesturing vaguely at the derelict shrine in front of her, Kohaku continued, "THIS is not where my heart is. It's simply the building that I've been told is mine. And so it will be, at least until this mystery is solved. Personally, I'd just as soon find the previous shrine maiden, if Keine's right and she's still alive, and let her have her job back."

"But, in the meantime, I'll make the best of a bad situation. And I think I will do just as you say, and at least set my bag down before we leave. No need to carry this back and forth between town. But after that, I can leave whenever you're ready." She smiled a somewhat depreciating smile. "I'm fitter than I look."
The young woman, malamute in tow, began to walk towards the shrine, but slowed her pace to ask Kohaku. "About weapons and my powers, though. Well, for one..." She holds out her hand, palm out, and lets the sharpened end of a chain poke out, and then back in. "CARRYING a weapon would seem a little redundant. But there is one thing I should learn, probably before I spend too much time working on my chains. Point of fact, I should have learned years ago, but, since I didn't... That thing being danmaku. As someone who... Confronts youkai, I presume you are well versed in that area?"

[GuyYouMetOnline]

"No, actually," Laresa said. "Apparently, the danmaku-based 'spellcard system' was created by the previous maiden. If so, it has fallen out of use to a significant extent since her dissapearance. I've seen it before, but its use has been fairly uncommon, and I have yet to find myself in a situation where I needed it. I have learned to produce basic shots, but I've only ever done just a few of them. Danmaku is something I've intended to learn-it may have been unlikely that I'd need it, but I like to be prepared-but there have been higher priorities, although given the current situation. I'd say that learning it has just become a fairly high priority. That being said, however, I shouldn't actually have any difficulty teaching you. I won't need a teacher myself; I have a lot of experience learning new abilities, thanks to my own ability. I can already teach you how to fire basic shots, and I can teach you more as I learn it myself. And I expect I'll learn it faster than you will, anyways, simply because I am good at learning new abilties.

"Also, I was using 'home' to simply mean a place where one lives. If it helps, you can think of it as simply a residence."

"Please let me know when you're ready to leave," Laresa said.

[Amraphenson]

There was a ringing sort of sound in the recesses of Tetsumaru's ears, and a haze that clouded his thoughts. He couldn't really remember anything that had happened. Was this one of those fabled hangovers? If so, he wasn't...

Tetsumaru's eyes widened. Where was he? Was he home? Where was the merchandise he had with him? Oh, he was so in for it if he lost all the stuff...

He looked around. He was in his room, in his bed. There wasn't a single sound in the house, which was disconcerting; father would've been working by now. Where was he? And...an examination of the house was disconcerting. The merchandise was gone. His father was just...missing.

Ugh, he couldn't really think straight, but it wasn't that bad. He grabbed his cane and walked out, locking the door behind him. He had to find his dad, and also figure out how the hell he got home. Not to mention the stuff put under his responsibility...

-Tetsumaru's ability is mitigating the effects of the hangover.

[Oldmansour]

"All right."

That's odd. Kohaku thinks to herself as she heads to the temple. Haine didn't say anything about danmaku falling out of style. She seemed to enjoy it. Although... That might explain why she seemed so happy about Koryu being willing to learn. If she hadn't had anyone to play with in a long time. The Daidouji heir frowns slightly. Now I wish all the more that I had taken her up on her offer.

"Oh, don't give me that look." Kohaku says aloud to her canine companion. Hyozan had perfected his own 'You're wallowing again' look and whine, which Kohaku had learned to anticipate by now. Probably because she'd heard it a fair number of times over the past couple years.

Drawing on her memory of the place from yesterday, Kohaku takes one of the smaller rooms for herself. She drops her small satchel on the table in the room, then retrieves the futon from the closet, spreading it out on the floor. She'd dusted it off yesterday, but she wanted to give it some air. She would have liked to have hung it up, but her efforts yesterday failed to yield a clothesline of any sort. So this would have to do, until she could come up with one, which she'd probably do in town with Laresa.
Kohaku took a few minutes to put away the clothes she had brought with her, but left her remaining items in the sack. Nothing left could wrinkle, so leaving them there for a while would be no thing. She made a note to see if she could dragoon some kind of lock for this door, though. Everything that was of great value to her, she carried on her, but leaving her belongings out here in an abandoned shrine didn't give her much peace of mind. But there didn't seem to much she could do about it at this point.

As satisfied as she could get with the arrangement, for now, she exited the room and beckoned to Hyozan, who'd been standing guard at the door. Kohaku let her hand linger on the door handle for a moment, though, wishing her chains lasted for more than an hour after separating from her body, but there wasn't much she could about that at the moment, either.
So she simply closed the door as securely as she could, and walked out of the building to rejoin Laresa.

[Sonae]

---Yog

Weary from travel and mesmerized by the Waterfall of Nine Heavens, Hotaru decided to stop and rest for the night within a short cave located at the waterfall?s base. After making herself comfortable, the woman closed her eyes and let the dull, monotonous rumble of the waterfall sing her to sleep.

---

The next thing her conscious mind registered was the birds greeting the morning sun. Their serene lullaby was melodic and calming, making the amateur nomad wish for more sleep. However, a slight cold sensation that hovered just above her arm demanded otherwise. The woman slowly opened her eyes and shifted her gaze to the left.
Hotaru was greeted by a fearful sight. There standing over her was a white-haired girl brandishing a sword and shield. Her expression was faintly stern, as if she was about to reprimand a child who didn't obey the rules. Atop her head was a pair of white, dog-like ears. Despite this, the girl's inhuman appearance wasn't the first thing on Hotaru's mind. It was the sword, it's sharp blade pointed right at her.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

Laresa and Kohaku left the shrine, heading for the village. "The woman we'll be meeting," Laresa said as they walked, "is Vaxla Senekes. You may have heard of her, and if so, please allow me to explain myself before rejecting the idea of asking her for aid. And if you haven't heard of her, well, she is somewhat notorious, thanks to her attitude. I won't lie to you, Kohaku: Vaxla is extremely hostile towards youkai, especially those that appear human. I do not kill youkai unless I have to; Vaxla kills every youkai she targets. I know you don't like that, but let me assure you that she will not kill any youkai while aiding us.

"Vaxla was at the shrine last night." Looking for potential targets, I assume, she thought but didn't say. "I talked to her shortly after you spoke to everyone. She agreed to assist us in our investigation, and she also agreed to not kill anyone while doing so. She wouldn't have done so normally, but she agreed to as a favor for a friend-yes, she and I are friends despite our difference of opinion in regards to youkai." Or the closest thing either of us has to friends, at least. "She agreed not to kill, and I know her well enough to know she'll keep her word.

"Even with that guarantee, I'm assuming you're not sure you want to have her as the one aiding us, so let me tell you why I chose her. Vaxla is one of the best at identifying and tracking down youkai, if not the best. And the youkai sages will no doubt be extremely difficult to identify and locate, so we'll likely need the best. You don't have to like her, and you don't have to approve of her actions-and she won't care about what you think of her. Hell, you don't even have to talk to her beyond this initial meeting if you don't want to. But she's our best bet at finding the sages-hell, I'd probably bring her in on this even if I wasn't working with you. She'll find the sages for us, and she won't kill anyone while doing so. I know you probably still don't like it, but she's our best bet, so please, trust me on this. Can you do that much, at least?"

--------------------------------------

OOC: Yes, Sonae has approved Vaxla. Her profile will be up in the discussion thread shortly.